Kobo Discounts: Coupon Codes + Discussion

[samosa]

Originally Posted by dandelioncottage

I have a question about using a Kobo gift card. I bought one in Australia and gifted it to the email I use for Kobo. It shows up as a credit in the India store and says it'll be used on my next purchase.

However, when I go to pay, Kobo wants the gift card number, and I can't find it anywhere. I've checked my receipt, my Payment tab on Kobo, etc.

How can I use the credit without putting in the gift card number? Or where do I find the gift card number?

Thanks!

You just ignore the box which ask you about gift card, click through to the next page, and then it will show that the amount is being deducted from your gift card balance.

[Billingsgate]

Is SAV50 really valid outside the USA? I tried using it today for the first time. It's also my first time using the new checkout on the Hong Kong store. The coupon was accepted, but the purchase refused to go through. I revalidated my credit card, still it wouldn't go through. Of course, Kobo live help is unavailable, and their online help window will not submit a question unless one enters a USA or Canada phone number (I have neither; I really am in Hong Kong). So I wonder if somehow the discount code is possibly causing a glitch for me even if it displays as being accepted.

Man, between the contests now being restricted to the USA, Canada and UK, the stealth infiltration of KEPUBs, the inability to contact Kobo for help, and incidents like this, I'm ready to abandon Kobo entirely and just buy epubs from Google Books.

[JoHunt]

Originally Posted by Billingsgate

Is SAV50 really valid outside the USA?

I've successfully used SAV50 in the India store (twice I think). With the exception of this type of code, I've already abandoned Kobo.

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by joehunt

I've successfully used SAV50 in the India store (twice I think). With the exception of this type of code, I've already abandoned Kobo.

Same. I use library more.

[samosa]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Just keep checking http://contest.kobo.com/ if they have one that will lead too it. Sometimes that page will mention an upcoming contest a day or two before, but that's about the only advanced notice we get.

Another day passed with no new contest.

[samosa]

Originally Posted by Geralt

Same. I use library more.

And I have signed up to Kindle Unlimited. Fulfill my trigger happy ordering at a fixed price. I still want to get the contest codes though, there are books I want to buy that aren't amongst the 650,000 books offered by the Kindle Unlimited.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by samosa

Another day passed with no new contest.

They do seem a tad less frequent. Perhaps they don't have as much sponsorship for them. Or they could be moving to a different marketing model. No model lasts forever.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Billingsgate

Man, between the contests now being restricted to the USA, Canada and UK, the stealth infiltration of KEPUBs, the inability to contact Kobo for help, and incidents like this, I'm ready to abandon Kobo entirely and just buy epubs from Google Books.

You forgot "and infinitesimal odds on higher value contest codes," but otherwise spot-on.

The silver lining is that it helps reconcile me to my insane buying sprees during palmier times. I can get along on inventory for a long, long, very long time.

[dandelioncottage]

Do you need to have a credit card on file as well? When I try to click through, it keeps asking me either for the gift card number or a credit card number. And I don't see anywhere to apply a promo code. Thanks!

Originally Posted by samosa

You just ignore the box which ask you about gift card, click through to the next page, and then it will show that the amount is being deducted from your gift card balance.

[JoHunt]

Originally Posted by dandelioncottage

Do you need to have a credit card on file as well? When I try to click through, it keeps asking me either for the gift card number or a credit card number. And I don't see anywhere to apply a promo code. Thanks!

If the cost of the book is more than your gift card credit, you do need to have a credit card on file. You apply the promo code only after you click through.

[hannahi]

I'm unable to use Paypal from the US/new checkout Kobo site. I'm redirected to Paypal then get the following message after choosing my bank account: "Sorry — your last action could not be completed." Anyone else have the same problem?

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by hannahi

I'm unable to use Paypal from the US/new checkout Kobo site. I'm redirected to Paypal then get the following message after choosing my bank account: "Sorry — your last action could not be completed." Anyone else have the same problem?

Paypal is the only route that works for me. Is the error message from Kobo or paypal?

[hannahi]

Paypal is the only route that works for me. Is the error message from Kobo or paypal?

The error message was from Paypal. I just checked out successfully--looks like whatever it was is no longer an issue.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Billingsgate

Is SAV50 really valid outside the USA? I tried using it today for the first time. It's also my first time using the new checkout on the Hong Kong store. The coupon was accepted, but the purchase refused to go through. I revalidated my credit card, still it wouldn't go through. Of course, Kobo live help is unavailable, and their online help window will not submit a question unless one enters a USA or Canada phone number (I have neither; I really am in Hong Kong). So I wonder if somehow the discount code is possibly causing a glitch for me even if it displays as being accepted.

Man, between the contests now being restricted to the USA, Canada and UK, the stealth infiltration of KEPUBs, the inability to contact Kobo for help, and incidents like this, I'm ready to abandon Kobo entirely and just buy epubs from Google Books.

Billingsgate I'm curious as to whether you got an error message when your payment didn't go through? Also, did you check 'My Library' in the event the transaction did go through, even though the screens didn't act like they should have.

sav50 works here in Aus and has done so for many months, and it works in India, so I don't think your transaction issue is related to using that code.

Also if you check out Nate's The Digital Reader you'll find immediate assistance with the kepub problem.

[Billingsgate]

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

Billingsgate I'm curious as to whether you got an error message when your payment didn't go through? Also, did you check 'My Library' in the event the transaction did go through, even though the screens didn't act like they should have.

sav50 works here in Aus and has done so for many months, and it works in India, so I don't think your transaction issue is related to using that code.

Also if you check out Nate's The Digital Reader you'll find immediate assistance with the kepub problem.

I get this message: "Oops! Something went wrong. Please review your payment information and try again."

Of course I checked my credit card information, it's all correct, nothing has changed since my last purchase...except now the HK store has the "new checkout". I just called my bank, and they said there is no hold on my card, and none of my 12 attempts to use it on Kobo shows up in their records. So it isn't the bank refusing to honor the payment.

SAV50 shows up as being applied. But I'm not about to test the purchase without the coupon, since I can get a mint condition used hardback of the exact same book from Better World Books, at less than the full Kobo ebook price, even after paying for international airmail shipping.

I started buying ebooks because my home was running out of space for more books, and they get moldy in Hong Kong's humid climate. Thanks to Kobo's rapid deterioration, I'm more and more reverting to physical books. I'll start building tables out of them, I guess.

Thanks for the link about kepubs. The one time I tried to "rescue" a book from kepub format, there were so many formatting errors my Sony Reader couldn't handle it.